


Bebes

by yeaka



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: M/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:15:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21729658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Jim shouldn’t have kids.
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock
Comments: 12
Kudos: 144





	Bebes

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Star Trek or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

The alien nest is _enormous_ , easily twice the size of the bridge of the _Enterprise_ , and at least three times as ugly. It seems to be made out of everything the Mrennenimians could throw at it—leaves, flowers, whole trees, badly-drawn pinecones, _everything_. The Mrennenimian council sits along the far edge, all five elders staring tearfully down at the center, and occasionally glancing up at Jim and Spock as though to be sure they appreciate the majesty. Jim’s in his dress uniform and everything. Somehow, he thought the hatching ceremony he was invited to watch would be more... interesting.

It’s not. They’ve been sitting there for the better part of an hour, and so far, only two eggs have hatched. Out of some odd forty. The baby Mrennenimians look like nothing so much as brightly coloured loofahs. But they grow up into interesting, complex, varied humanoids roughly the size of humans but shaped like Terran dinosaurs. The elders each have an array of spikes, claws, tails, _limbs_ , but the loofah babies just sort of... flop around. None of the elders go to help them.

It leaves Jim to fill the time his own way. He asks the logical question, voice hushed so as not to carry over the almost non-existent Mrennenimian wind, “Do you want kids, Spock?”

Spock frowns and predictably doesn’t give a straight answer. “That is a very complicated question, Captain.” But he must sense Jim’s desperation for conversation, because he does counter, “Do you?”

Jim shrugs. “I suppose I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t think I’d be a particularly good father.”

Spock doesn’t turn to look at him. Neither of them can; they need to keep their eyes on the eggs so as not to offend the elders. But Jim gets the distinct impression Spock _would_ look at him if able. Spock quietly notes, “I am surprised you feel that way.”

That might be a complement. “Thanks?”

“May I ask why?”

Jim doesn’t at all mind answering. Maybe someday the answer will affect Spock, and they’ll need to have this discussion more seriously. In the moment, it feels like they’ll never be anything but a captain and commander, running the flag ship of the Federation, and obviously they don’t have the luxury of settling down to get married and raise little ones. Then again, they’ll get old eventually, Jim sooner than Spock, and maybe a plan would be smart. 

On the other hand, he admits: “When you have kids, you’re supposed to love them more than anything. ...And I just can’t imagine loving anything more than you.”

In his peripherals, he can see Spock’s cheeks turning green. Spock takes a long moment to reply, “Jim, I... do not believe that is how it works.”

“Spock—”

All at once, the other thirty-eight eggs _explode_. Loofahs rocket into the sky, then rain down all together, splattering the floor of the nest amongst the broken shells, rolling uselessly over each other and all toppling down into the middle. The elders all leap up, cheering raucously. 

Jim follows suit out of simple courtesy, roaring as though his own baby’s bravely burst into freedom.


End file.
